Wesley Ray Venable

Wesley Ray Venable of Pasadena, Texas, passed away on May 29, 2025, at the age of 95. He was born in Ellis County, Texas in the city of Ennis, on July 10, 1929, to Oscar Herschell Venable and Georgia Delilla (Lila) Armstrong Venable. His childhood was spent with his parents, his sister, Dorothy and his brother Eugene, on a farm in Rankin, which is near Ennis. Their farm was not huge, but it provided for them very well. He would share great stories from that time.

Wesley graduated from Ennis HS in 1947 and worked for a while in farming for an uncle, after his own father passed away while he was still in high school. In 1951 he and several friends from Ennis joined the Navy and were stationed in Miramar, San Diego, CA. Their naval experiences were nothing short of spectacular. He served two years, came back to Ennis in early 1953 and by November that year, married his beautiful wife, Nita. They were together for 55 years until her death in 2009, they had two children, Paula and Brad.

Wes and Nita had moved to Pasadena following several family members who had already left Ennis, found jobs, mostly in the Deer Park plants. His career began in earnest at Ethyl Petroleum Company, and most of his work life was done there, Ethyl eventually became Albemarle. Wesley did spend a few years with Reliable Life Insurance Company, where his brother and several other family members were working. Even though he did well there, he returned to Ethyl and his security and safety officer duties to work toward retirement.

Golf quickly became Wesley’s favorite recreation by far, he went as often as possible, for as long as possible, and enjoyed it with so many different people, winning some recognition along the way. His later years would find him at Texaco Golf Club creating remarkable memories and relationships. He was a community contributor both at church, where he would volunteer and through his participation in the Pasadena Masonic Lodge.

Wesley was preceded in death by his parents, Herschell and Lila, and his love Nita, also his sister Dorothy and his brother Eugene.

He is survived by his two children, daughter Paula Jennings and husband Bruce, son Brad Venable and wife Rita, his grandchildren Erin Richardson and husband Jeremy, Lindsey White and husband Adam, Tommy Ciranni and wife Lyndsey, Michael Ciranni and wife Shelbilyn, great-grandchildren Kaely, Luke and Ethan Richardson, Blake and Paige White, Wesson and Barrett Ciranni, and Casey Ciranni. Wesley remained close with surviving nieces and nephews, a dear aunt, and cousins who admired his ability to connect with family, he led by example, and they return in kind. Friendships he nurtured as well, his family offers special thanks to his caretaker, Cathy Ciranni. She made his life better.